This post is truly out of curiosity rather than a thinly veiled attempt at a complaint. I am wondering how some of you would have handled a situation that recently presented itself.

As background, I am a white collar professional who happens to be passionate about fishing. I don't get to enjoy nearly as many fishing outings as I would prefer (read: every day), so my time doing it is very valuable.

Once a year or so I plan a guided saltwater trip in hopes of doing some rig-hopping 10-15 miles out. This year was no exception. I planned for months. I try (and did this year) to always book 3 consecutive days in hopes of getting one day with cooperative weather. I save my money to book a guide, pay for lodging, and other ancillary expenses. It's a big deal to me.

This year, about an hour before we start heading to the boat ramp to begin our first day, I get a call from our guide that his boat has mechanical issues and that we would be unable to go today. Ok, things happen. "What about tomorrow?" I asked. "I'll keep you posted" was the response.

Long story shortened, instead of three days of rig-hopping, we got 1 day of bay / very near shore, that didn't target our desired species. Our original guide found someone to do this for us, but the vessel would not be considered as something one would want to take out of the bay very far at all.

How would you have handled this? Is the onus on me to scramble through the yellow pages at the last minute, during peak season, to try and find a replacement guide? Or is it your responsibility to perhaps call in a favor from one of your cronies?

Bear in mind that my hotel was prepaid, and even if it wasn't, one hour notice that we weren't going doesn't seem adequate. I was not in a position to simply postpone the trip until the mechanical issues were resolved.

What are your contigency plans should something unexpected happen? What if your truck breaks down on the way to the ramp? What if a medical issue prohibits your participation? The list is long.

You guys do your jobs as financial support for you and your families. How would you have handled the scenario above and expect to retain a (repeat) customer, or generate customer referals? What would have been the responsible thing to do from your perspective? I also realize it's a two-way street. You likely get your fair share of inconsiderate no-shows from customers.

I consider myself reasonable in logic and temperment. But next year I'm going to book 2 guides on the exact same days and cancel with one, after we figure out who's boat is working. Yes, I'll be eating a deposit, but I'll have insurance that I'm going as planned. Someone will get paid, and someone will get only a portion and have empty dates for the rest.

Your thoughts?

i agree with your logic. I'd be pissed too? Did you just call any guide or someone reputable? The true guides are really passionate about what they do so they usually provide good service. an hour notice is BS.

Reputable? It's difficult for me to lable someone as that after this experience, but again, that's me and I'm trying not to judge.

We have been out with this provider previously with really good success. I felt comfortable booking a repeat trip.

I'm not so put off about the hour thing. Things happen. But when one is in business, one has contigency plans for when things happen. It's the lack of contingency and/or insensitivity to the end result.

Boats break down and you can't pick when, where or how they'll do it. Under the conditions a one hour notice was probably all he was able to give.

If I were the guide I would have offered a re-schedule at a later date. Apparently he tried to accommodate with another boat but it sounds as if he made an error in judgment.

If I were you I would call the guide and express your dissatisfaction with this arrangement and give him the opportunity to make it right. If he doesn't then find another guide.

As for double booking guides, I think that is a bad idea. Personally it's awfully selfish on your part. Most of those guides make they're living guiding. That's how they feed their families. If you double book and cancel on one then you are taking income away from him and his family. I find that unethical.

I understand your frustration but the answer is to find a solid, reputable and capable capt. Double booking is just wrong.

I can see how you feel that way Land Pirate. You make some valid points. I'm not so naive as to think that we can't pick the time of our emergencies. I truly understand that. However my company has emergencies too. We have contigency plans for when they occur. If a production facility loses power, we add other shifts to other production facilities. If the network goes down, we send employees to where a network exists. It's simple planning.

All the calling, and complaining, and second chances aren't going to replace the vacation time and a LOT of money I spent on this trip. It's frankly a waste of my time and energy over something that can't be undone. A reschedule at a later date isn't always possible and was not in this instance. I don't have unlimited vacation time. I do have a kiddo starting school on Wednesday, and a baby on the way. Not to mention we were both 300 miles away from home. For someone who has been guiding over 30 years, I can't help but think that that there were other options that could have been explored with other contacts for which this guide surely has.

I also realize that the guiding profession is very likely quite competitive, so one might be hesitant to point a customer in another direction in a situation such as this. The risk of losing business to another guide is real in that kind of scenario.

I totally agree with your statement about double-booking guides. It's not only selfish/unethical, but also kind of sneaky, nasty, and a host of other adjectives. I can assure you I would have preferred being referenced as any of those names instead of standing on the beach wishing that I was enjoying (by a rig) one of the two days a year, when the wind isn't howling on the Texas coast....for a trip I had been planning for months. I thought this one guide's business practices were somewhat less than ethical as well.

It would seem to me that if a guide wants to feed his family consistently, with repeat customers, and referals, then the guide would have a plan in mind for when something like this happens. A functional back-up boat? A trusted boat mechanic that would give him priority for a bottle of his favorite spirit on Christmas? A trusted friend or 2 that could help in a pinch?

Again, my problem isn't with the mechanical problems. They happen. My problem is with the lack of effort, planning, and customer satifaction when the mechanical issue occured.

I know our experience is not standard procedure for all guides. I've been with others who have had similar issues on the day of the trip and they made arrangements without missing a beat.

Hey, I agree with most of your points. However, you reference your network of support when things go awry at your job. Most guides are one man shows. No support network. You can't call on just anyone to take clients fishing offshore. I understand that the fines are quite steep if one doesn't have a "six=pack" license from the CG.

As far as having a second boat...have you ever priced offshore boats? They ain't cheap. They're even more to maintain. I know because I own and operate one. There's no way I could manage two (I'm not a guide but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night).

I agree that your guide should have done all in his power to get you on another boat with competent guide. It seems he failed in that task. I know how tough it is to get to the coast and all the planning that goes into it. I too spend way more money than I should to do it.

Perhaps in the future you could look at using a company that hires multiple boats and captains. That way if one goes down there's probably someone who could pick up the slack.

I feel for ya and know how disappointed you must be. I just hope that you don't make some other poor sole pay for your captain's mistake. That was the main point I wanted to make.

You are absolutely correct. Most guides are one man shows with no support network. Is this not a fatal flaw? Would they not be stronger in both resolving issues such as mine as well as information sharing about where/what is hot and what's not? I mean they see each other every single day at the ramp or on the water. I can think of more than a few benefits of doing some networking. Because they are one man shows doesn't make it the most practical thing to do.

Funny you should mention the price of off-shore boats, because I've spent the better part of today pricing them (I don't always drink beer, but when I do I prefer Dos XX's). Strongly considering buying my own, getting some training and waiting for calm water to avoid a repeat occurrence. So yes, I'm pretty sure I understand what it would entail to have a back-up plan in that regard. It's the price of doing business.

I'm thinking that with my own rig and some training, then I won't have to feel bad at all about removing $3k from offshore captains every year. Not only would I not feel bad about double booking, but I would also not book at all. Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, because it makes perfect sense in my case.

I've been disappointed before in my life as we all have. I can take it and move on. But to not learn lessons is begging for repeat disasters. I've learned from this one big time.

Excellent thoughts on using the companies with multiple boats. That's going to for sure my Plan B.

Good points. I appreciate the insight.

To kinda quote Slim Pickens:

You type prettier then a 20 dollar door.

Dang, you guys need to post down to the "off topic" section
and show dem boys what "class" looks like.

No hollaring, no gunplay, no invites to the launch ramp
to whoop someones arse!

BRAVO GENTS!!!!

-Sniper

customer service, customer service, customer service. that phrase is getting to be used less and less these days. its sad to say but many small business owners just dont put enough stock towards it. its getting so bad that on the rare occasions that i do get someone friendly on the line and genuinely trying to help me ill usually call back and talk to a superviser to give my approval. hornsup i agree with you that the guide should have some sort of back up for when things happen. i mean he could have at least offered a day of beach/pier/jetty fishing and drinks on him at the end of the day or something. ive got an old school mentality that says if you pay me for a service and for whatever reason i can not provide that service i should either give you a refund in full, work out another time for the trip, or provide an alternate trip/refund deal. at least meet face to face and discuss what would be fair for both parties. i know we dont have the full story but it just seems like the captain took a pretty much "oh well" attitude towards the events that took place; which screws you out of lots of money and time. i think you should call the captain though and express your opinions with the way everything was handled for two reasons: 1) if he is a standup guy who was just having a bad week then he may not know that he has wronged you and may be willing to try to make it right; 2) if he is just a douche that doesnt care that you were completely dissatisfied with his service then it will at least feel good to vent a little!

oh and your username is messed up. it should read: GUNS UP!

(2 brothers graduated from TT)

The man who taught me offshore fishing is a guide. He's retired from his "day job", was always a very accomplished angler and always wanted to do offshore charters. So he is. I can tell you that there is not a lot of communication between most of the offshore charter captains. They keep their secret spots close to the vest and they don't welcome new captains to the table with the "warm fuzzies".

They'll all go out of their way to help someone in trouble but don't expect a lot more than that. Is this a fatal flaw? Possibly. Or is it some primitive survival instinct? Either way, that's how it is.

I agree with you getting your own boat. I did and I haven't regretted it for a minute.

Just a word of warning...As captain of your own boat you won't get to fish much. You'll be driving the boat, gaffing fish, rigging, baiting, mechanic-ing, so forth and so on, while your family and new found friends that you never knew you had do all of the fishing.

I don't guide saltwater, but I have just recently begun freshwater and it would tear me up if I had to cancel. I was nearly in that predicament last week, as a prop blade decided to fold on me mid trip. Thankfully, I was just scouting and didn't have any booked charters. (I also now know to carry a spare prop, but I haven't seen one fail in 25 years of fishing.) I would have done anything I can to make it right though. Personally, I would have been on the horn with everyone I know to trying to book you with someone else. If the guide didn't know already, I would have also made clear your personal predicament in detail and be proacticve in requesting charter assistance. Even if you lose one trip, a guide may gain others by taking care of clients. In the legal world, you can recoup lost profits if there is a breach of contract and the other party knows you will lose money by not performing (consequential damages). This wouldn't apply here, but it pays to inform the other party of your whole situation.

This is what I was referencing earlier... http://www.texascharterfleet.com/port%20aransas%20deep%20sea%20fishing.htm

Something like the Texas Charter Fleet. They have multiple boats and captains available for charter. If something goes awry then you have a better chance of getting aboard one of the other boats.

There is another scenario that might put a little twist to this, I booked a trip with a Port A guide for my wife, grandaughter and myself. The morning we were leaving the guide said he was experiencing a minor problem with his motor but, thought it was okay. Long story short, we had to be towed back in. The guide offered no refund, re-booking, etc... and he was sorely dissapointed and made it known when I did not tip him for the trip.
I know they are in the business to make money but, when all you, the customer, is a bank roll, it gives everyone in the business a black eye.
Now don't let me get off on Dolphin Dock.

Sniper -

Without healthy discourse the world would be sort of boring eh? Thanks for the kind words.

Agengo02 -

You sir, hit the nail on the proverbial head in far fewer words than Yours Truly. You feel me. Well played. It was the "oh well" attitude which so eloquently describes my consternation. I'm not wasting my nickle to call the guy ...for anything. 1) If he's too stupid to know what he did was wrong, then I never want to be on the water with him again and 2) venting isn't going to do anything but get me red in the face. It won't get me a do-over.

Land Pirate -

I don't know too many avid fishermen who are willing to share their secret GPS coordinates. I wanted to go rig-hopping. Every single rig in the gulf is a metter of public record on the internet. I simply needed a vessel and someone qualified to operate it. We're not talking Boomvang here. Something 15 miles out would have been perfect.

Your words of warning are duly noted (and expected). I might however add that any of those tasks would have been better than standing on the beach wishing.

My best analogy would be an encounter with a drunken, semi-coherent, naked, and willing Angelina Jolie.....with me in a full body cast head to toe. AND I payed to be tortured like that. The water was perfect. It was a Carona commercial in leiu of the chocolate milk I usually find.

Thanks a ton for the link!

Lucas -

That's kind of where I was going with my original post. The responsibility should not have been mine in the 11th hour. This guide had over 36 hours to find someone before the next trip was scheduled. Didn't. Happen.

Throwback -

I'm trying real hard to NOT let one bad apple spoil things, but it's tempting if one is out of pocket by a four-digit sum with nothing to show. I'm sorry to hear of your experience.

Sometimes people get Copasetic with their 1. Equipment 2. Maintenance 3. Success. Things break and F things up at the most opportune instances. Looking from the outside in, and not knowing the entire situation. Sounds like you have been a well paying customer, and in the past the man has produced to your satisfaction. Somtimes $hit happens. As humans we don't always make the correct decisions, and without a little reflection the incorrect ones go un-noticed more times than not.

Human nature probably inspired the guide to run circles to fix his investment (his livelyhood.) Which was his boat to ensure that the remainder of his clients did not experience the same inconvenience you did. In the heat of the moment and possibly trying to be a concerned businessman; he overlooked the opportunity to satisfy his obligation to you as a customer. We are all human even though these days we multitask and sometimes perform what seem to be miracles in our work environment. You sound like a standup tipe of person that is well edumacated and is pretty cool headed. Call the gentleman up and make your concerns noted.

Possibly with your business sense and his angling abilities something can be learnt by both parties. Sometimes the glass is really half full.



Rob